Il Cannone Guarnerius

Il Cannone Guarnerius is the name of a violin, which was built in 1742 or 1743 by Giuseppe Guarneri ( Guarneri del Gesu ) in Cremona and has gained a favorite instrument of the violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini celebrity.

History

Paganini's favorite instrument, which he himself called il violino cannone and has bequeathed the city of Genoa, il Cannone Guarnerius was. The Cannone had been given to Paganini. It is not clear by whom under what circumstances he was given this instrument. Cited two possibilities Julius Schottky Max. Then he reported Paganini, probably related to the time 1802-1804:

" One of my trips, which was not art - but only a pleasure trip led me once again to Livorno, where you compelled me to concerts. The art-loving rich merchant, Mr. Livron, lent me a Guarneri, as I had no violin with me; after geendigtem games, however, he refused to take them back [ ... ] Similarly, it happened to me to Parma: Mr. Pasini, an excellent painter, heard of my skill, that all a Vista to play; he put a very difficult Concert with the remark before, to give me an estimated violin as a gift when I solved the problem enough: The violin was my property. "

Without secure evidence and the Napoleonic General Domenico Pino is mentioned as a donor in the literature.

This violin was Paganini fashion 1828 in Vienna by the luthier Carl Nicolaus Sawicki. She received a tailpiece like a viola and a new fingerboard, which was a bit shorter and a more pronounced curvature exhibited. 1833 suffered the violin in London a damage for which remedy the luthier Jean -Baptiste Vuillaume not completed until 1838. Vuillaume also made ​​a copy, which later Paganini's pupil Camillo Sivori acquired from his teacher.

The Cannone was especially after the renovation in Vienna with her big, round tone is the ideal instrument to offset Paganini thin strings that made the sound slim. Thanks to the unusual elongation of the fingers of his left hand, the Cannone was a wonderful partner for Paganini; he was entitled to use this instrument to develop new techniques and he took great advantage of the capabilities of the violin. Is famous, among other things, that the Cannone Gather the splendor of a soprano and baritone in the depth of a itself.

Since 1851 there is the violin, along with other memorabilia in the Palazzo Doria Tursi Paganini, headquarters of the Genoa City Hall. 1937 the cremonesische luthier Cesare Candi was entrusted with the restoration of the instrument. Further restoration work was carried out around the turn of the millennium. As part of this Paganiniana Festival 2004, a symposium was organized. In order to obtain the violin today cares a group of experts. Among them are the violinist Mario Trabucco, who plays the Cannone regularly, and the luthier Bruce Carlson, who is responsible for their preservation. Although famous violinist concerts with the Cannone have played in Italy and abroad, has the winner of the International Violin Competition "Premio Paganini ", to appear at the Festival in honor of Christopher Columbus on October 12, the special right to the Cannone.